‘I thought I would get a bit of a stick’ – New Charlton defender Alex Mitchell opens up on Millwall exit

EXCLUSIVE BY EDMUND BRACK

New Charlton Athletic signing Alex Mitchell says he realised midway through last season that his future looked set to be away from South London rivals Millwall.

The now 22-year-old joined League One side Lincoln on loan from the Lions last August to spend the 2023-24 season at the Sincil Bank Stadium.

Lions academy gradute Mitchell was playing consistently for Lincoln and continuing to ply his trade on his fourth loan spell away from Millwall.

As the end of the January transfer window came to a close last season, Millwall were struggling at the wrong end of the Championship and set to sack Joe Edwards and bring back Neil Harris.

Mitchell told the South London Press: “After the January [transfer window] around February time, I hadn’t been recalled. No disrespect to Millwall, but it wasn’t their best season.

“I thought that if I wasn’t being recalled then, I wasn’t really in the plans.

“I hold no personal resentment towards that at all – that’s how football works. If somebody doesn’t fancy you, I completely understand.

“It’s then my time to find another move and sort a new home.”

Mitchell penned a three-year deal at The Valley after his Den exit was confirmed.

Lyle Taylor, Nicky Bailey and Therry Racon are just a very limited number of players who have featured for both Charlton and Millwall in recent seasons.

The centre-back’s sole Millwall appearance came as a late substitute, playing 10 minutes in the 3-1 EFL Cup second round win over Cambridge in August 2021.

“I thought I would get a bit of a stick,” admitted Mitchell of joining Charlton.

“I spoke with my family a lot about this and my agent. I had come through at Millwall, but I have only played 10 minutes for the club.

“I’m not ungrateful at all for Millwall – it has made me the person and player I am. Without Millwall, I wouldn’t have a career – I wouldn’t be at Charlton.

“But I also looked it and said: ‘I get there is a rivalry, but it’s an opportunity I can’t turn down.’

“I hold Charlton in such high regard.

“If I had played 200 games for Millwall, I would have had a different opinion, but just because I haven’t played for Millwall, I saw this as a massive move for my career.”

Millwall have a significant sell-on as part of the deal, with the fee announced as undisclosed between the two clubs.

Lions boss Harris told to our paper that he would have been keen for Mitchell to fight for his place in the squad this season ahead of the 2024-25 Championship campaign – but the defender had other plans.

He said; “It has been stated in an interview that I could have stayed and waited for my chance, but that’s not really what I am about.

“I like to go somewhere and know I’m going to play and really be valuable for the team.

“I back myself to get to the Championship and I really want to bring Charlton to there.

“It wasn’t a thought in my mind of going to a lower league at all, it was about helping Charlton to get to where they should be.

“It’s an exciting move.”

Mitchell has more than 100 senior appearances under his belt already by the age of 22.

He has had loan spells with Bromley in the National League, St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership and also time with Leyton Orient in League Two.

“Massively,” said Mitchell when asked how much he has kicked on since his first loan at Hayes Lane in April 2021.

“If you look at the player I was at Bromely to the player I am now, there are similar attributes but a lot has changed.

“I have had a nice trajectory of loans, and I have played in a lot of different leagues and picked up a lot of different experiences for my age.

“I have that under my belt and hopefully that will help me this season.

“I’m more comfortable on the ball now and I’m still as passionate of a defender.

“I have learnt a bit of composure defensively as well.”

Mitchell’s most successful loan spell came last season with Lincoln.

He was apart of Michael Skubala’s side that recorded a 16-game unbeaten run in League One that saw the Imps climb from mid-table to the play-off places.

A 2-0 defeat at home to champions Portsmouth saw Lincoln and Mitchel miss out on the top six by two points.

“It was mixed emotions,” added Mitchell.

“I was incredibly proud – and so were the other boys – of seeing how far we have come.

“With a season of three managers and missing out on the play-offs by one point, on paper, that’s a bit of a weird season.

“Lincoln, in my opinion, is a big club with an unavailable fanbase who treat you as one of their own.

“But, on paper, it’s probably not one of the biggest clubs in League One.

“To do what we did and go unbeaten, was massive.

“I was incredibly proud of the city and the club, but a bit disappointed we didn’t get to the play-offs.

“I really did fancy us in the play-offs with the momentum, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“But it’s a club where I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.”

The Addicks have already made seven permanent signings this summer – including strike duo Matty Gooden and Gassan Ahadme – as they gear up for their fifth consecutive League One season.

Nathan Jones’ side will be challenging for promotion to the Championship alongside big spenders Birmingham, Wrexham and Huddersfiled.

Mitchell added: “He [Nathan Jones] is a manager with excellent pedigree and a manager that a lot of players would want to work for.

“I’m included in that. I only had to meet him once.

“I have been local. I have lived in Eltham and around the area since I was 16, so I know the calibre of the club and the fanbase.

“We need to get out of League One and get to the Championship.

“Then don’t stop there. We need to keep on trying to be the best we can. One thing that drew me to the club when I spoke to the gaffer was the aspirations of the club.

“They want to be as high as possible and that’s what I want to do as well.”